N1007A

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On May 17, 1994, at 1937 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M-20K, N1007A, owned and piloted by Raymond J. Homa, was destroyed when it impacted trees during a forced landing near the Toledo Express Airport, Toledo, Ohio. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.

Mr. Homa was the owner of an electronics firm in Atlanta, Georgia, and the passenger was an employee. According to air traffic control records, Mr. Homa obtained a weather briefing from the Macon, Georgia, Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), and filed an IFR flight plan from Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), Atlanta, Georgia, to Detroit City Airport (DET), Michigan.

Mr. Homa was issued an IFR clearance to DET by the PDK Clearance Delivery, and at 1651 was cleared for takeoff by the PDK Tower. The pilot contacted Atlanta (ATL) departure control and was issued a climb to 11,000 feet, followed by a communications handoff to ATL Center. At 1701, N1007A requested a climb to Flight Level (FL) 190, and 3 minutes later was issued a climb to that altitude. The flight proceeded uneventful with several frequency changes over the next 130 minutes.

Cleveland Center issued N1007A a descent to 11,000 feet, followed by a frequency change to the Toledo Approach (TOL) Control. The Toledo controller issued N1007A a descent to 5,000 feet, and a frequency change to another Toledo controller.

At 1930:08, N1007A contacted the new Toledo controller and stated, "Ah, Toledo Approach, Mooney One Zero Zero Seven Alpha with you, ah, we're leaving eleven point seven for ah, five thousand, direct Poofe."

The Controller acknowledged the call and provided N1007A the altimeter setting, which N1007A responded with, "Roger, the thirty twenty, Zero Seven A." According to the recorded radar data (RRD) provided by the Cleveland Center, and analyzed by the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering, from 1930:19 to 1932:10, N1007A averaged a rate of descent of 700 feet per minute (FPM). The average ground speed at that time, as indicated by the RRD, was 180 knots.

The next communication came at 1932:19, when N1007A stated, "Ah, Toledo approach, Mooney ah, One Zero Zero Seven Alpha we're experiencing ah, quite a bit of vibration I'm de [sic] sure what it is ah, I don't know that we want to go across the ah water 'til we figure this out." The RRD altitude at this time was about 10,400 feet above mean sea level (MSL) with an average rate of descent of 200 FPM. The average ground speed at that time, as indicated by the RRD, was 165 knots.

The Toledo controller responded with the offer to vector N1007A to the Toledo Express Airport (TOL) which was 15 miles northeast of his position. N1007A stated, "...affirmative, let's do that." The Controller then provided N1007A a heading for TOL.

1933:24; N1007A advised the controller, "We are running extremely rough, you say I'm one five to the southeast of Toledo Express." The controller responded affirmative and also stated, "...if you'd like a closer airport, you are seven miles southwest of Toledo Metcalf, your choice, wind is zero seven zero at six." N1007A replied, "Ah, negative on that, we'll ah, we'll take Express ah fifteen."

After acknowledging a heading assignment, at 1933:58, N1007A stated, "...we have feathered our prop, ah that has gotten rid of the ah vibration." The RRD altitude at this time was 7,500 feet MSL with an average rate of descent of 2,300 FPM. The average ground speed at that time, as indicated by the RRD, was 155 knots.

During the next 5 minutes, the Controller provided N1007A heading assignments for a direct flight to TOL. The Controller also provided the airport location and direction several times during the vector.

The Controller informed N1007A at 1936:18 that he was 7 miles from TOL. Then at 1936:28, in response to a controller request for his type of aircraft, N1007A replied, "Mooney with an engine out."

The last RRD provided was at 1936:33, when N1007A was descending through 3,600 feet MSL at an average rate of descent of 1,200 fpm. The average ground speed at that time, as indicated by the RRD, was 110 knots. The estimated distance from TOL was 6 1/2 miles.

1938:17; The Controller advised N1007A that, "...the airport's 12 O'Clock, three and a half miles, do you have the field in sight."

1938:32; N1007A advised the Controller that he had the field in sight. The Controller responded with, "November Zero Seven Alpha, proceed straight in for runway 34, contact, or correction remain this frequency."

N1007A was cleared to land on runway 34 by the approach controller, and at 1939:14, after being given a wind check by the Controller, N1007A replied, "Zero Seven Alpha, thank you ma'am." There were no further communications with the airplane.

According to one witness on the ground, when he observed the airplane, "...I noticed a plane coming over when I heard the engine sputter and cut out, then I watched the plane glide over head, it looked like the plane went up, slowed down, and then we heard it crash."

An air traffic controller in the TOL Tower at the time of the accident stated, "...I observed the aircraft, it appeared to be in a normal attitude, that is , wings level, and in a descent. However, the aircraft appeared to be losing altitude rapidly. I then lost sight of the aircraft as it descended behind a tree line."

The airplane struck trees and impacted the ground approximately 3/4 of a mile from the TOL runway. The accident occurred during the hours of dusk at approximately 41 degrees, 35 minutes north latitude, and 85 degrees, 48 minutes west longitude.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, Mr. Raymond J. Homa, held a Private Pilot Certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Third Class Medical Certificate was issued on July 8, 1993.

Mr. Homa's pilot log book indicated he had accumulated a total of 2,200 hours of flight time, of which over 1,800 hours was in this make and model.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was purchased by Mr. Homa in 1981. It was a standard Mooney M20K with a Continental TSIO-360-GB3, 210 horsepower engine. It was equipped with a King KFC 200 Flight Control System, weather radar, 3M WX-9 weather mapping system, and oxygen bottle.

On December 6, 1991, at a total airframe service time of 1,792 hours, a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modification for the installation of 100 Series Speed Brakes, produced by Precise Flight, Inc., was completed by Roy Laughton of Medical Lake, Washington.

On December 12, 1991, still at total service time of 1,792, a prototype installation of the Rocket Engineering Conversion was completed by Rocket Engineering of Spokane, Washington. This included a Continental TSIO-520NB, 305 horsepower engine, and a three blade constant speed, full feathering, heated propeller. STC certification was received for this installation on April 18, 1992, which returned the airplane to normal category operations.

On January 30, 1992, STCs for the installation of Jose Monroy, long range auxiliary fuel tanks and low profile fiberglass doors, was completed by The Mod Squad, Inc., Venice, Florida.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

A Toledo Express Airport weather observation taken at 1848, indicated the weather was 5,000 scattered, visibility 10 miles, temperature 63, dew point 45, winds 070 degrees at 10 knots, with an altimeter setting of 30.19.

During the preflight briefing with the AFSS, the pilot was given the following winds aloft for 18,000 feet:

Atlanta, Georgia - 330 degrees at 19 knots Knoxville, Tennessee - 330 degrees at 34 knots Cincinnati/Columbus, Ohio - 330 degrees at 37 knots Fort Wayne, Indiana - 340 degrees at 32 knots

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane wreckage was examined at the accident site on May 18 and 19, 1994. The examination revealed that all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene, and the airplane came to rest upright on an approximate magnetic bearing of 220 degrees, at a ground elevation of about 650 feet above mean sea level (MSL).

A tree impact scar was observed at the top of a 70 foot tree, approximately 120 feet from the wreckage. Tree and ground scars, indicated a general magnetic bearing of 360 degrees in the direction of the wreckage. A ground scar about 30 feet from the nose of the wreckage, centered between two 20 foot high trees, contained pieces of red lens glass. Each of the two trees exhibited impact scars, between 4 and 15 feet above the ground.

An impact hole about 20 inches deep and 4 feet across was located 10 feet from the nose of the wreckage. The propeller blades and hub were located next to the impact hole, about 8 feet from the nose of the wreckage. The propeller assembly was intact, but separated from the engine at the crank shaft. The propeller blades were in the feathered position. There was no chord wise scratches or twisting of the propeller blades.

The last 6 feet of the fuselage, which included the vertical and horizontal stabilizers, rudder and elevator, was separated and twisted from the main fuselage. Control continuity was established from the rudder and elevator through the control tubes to the point of separation of the fuselage. The right wing remained attached to the fuselage while the left wing was detached at the fuselage attaching point. Control continuity could not be confirmed to the ailerons due to compression and buckling of the wings.

The baggage and rear seat areas contained 181 pounds of personal baggage and electronic components.

The left and right fuel tanks each contained about 2 ...